Saga of Shadows
=Part 1= Prologue A tall Makuta, with a mutated red claw, leered down at the subject, observing him. The subject looked at the neglected room they inhabited. Vines covered the cracked metal walls. It was a small room, with no other features but a door. Another, smaller being observed the subject more carefully. Then, he spoke. "As you can see, master," said the being in a somewhat high-pitched and arrogant voice, "The subject will be our greatest invention yet. The ultimate servant!" The Makuta replied. "The greatest invention yet? That is what you said about the...other "greatest invention". This had better be a success, or you will find that this failure will be a bit more...painful." The subject saw the smaller being reach into a bag. He pulled out a silver mask. _____________________________________________________________________ The being awoke with a start. He saw an imprint in the sand where his body was. A...desert? he thought. What was that dream about? And a better question...where am I?. All he could remember was his name: Razek. He looked around. There were 3 dead warriors. All looked identical, with 2 sets of wings. A sword was impaled in the back of one. He pulled the blade out of the warrior's corpse, and observed it. It was covered in a black substance. Blood? he wondered. He saw another piece of equipment, possibly a launcher. As he moved to pick it up, he heard something. He turned around. What he saw was three hideous beings with glowing crimson eyes. Their faces wore equally repulsive grins. The tallest one pointed his blade at Razek's neck. Chapter 1 Omega sat in his chair. He looked around his mansion. It was beautiful, indeed. The stone walls were decorated with lightstones, held by Hau-shaped sconces. The pillars were wrapped in vines. The ancient stone floor was covered with a green carpet of moss. Still, looks did not satisfy Omega. He had lost his desire for a fancy mansion long ago. It was only by the orders of the Turaga that he had such wealth. Omega thought of the Turaga. A very kind, polite person. However, in his eyes, the Turaga was too polite. Omega had declined the Turaga's offer of wealth, but he insisted. Omega's thoughts were cut off by a knock on his massive metal door. He opened it, to see a Matoran. Beside him was the Turaga himself. "Sir, the Turaga wishes to talk to you," said the Matoran. "Very well," replied Omega. The Turaga told the Matoran to stay behind, and entered the mansion. "Why are you here?" asked Omega. "Omega, we must talk," replied the Turaga. He sat in a chair, and sighed. "You see, you are not the only Toa on Ohmni Nui now." "What? A new team has emerged?" said Omega. "Indeed," answered the Turaga. "We are in dire times right now. The Morhud have stolen our resources, kidnapping Matoran. Utter chaos. You remember the sorrow we had to endure when the last Toa died. I fear that may happen again." "Why have you come to me about it? You know I am past my prime," replied Omega. "You are a war hero, Omega. You have saved millions. Certainly, you can train 4 Toa," said the Turaga. "Don't remind me of the war. Look, find another Toa. Find a younger war hero. I told you, I can't help you." "Think of it. 4 innocent lives, taken by the despicable forces of evil. You remember Vartix. I know the sorrow you suffered when he died. Come on, Omega. You are the only one who can help them!" Omega sighed, and shook his head. "Very well. I will train them the best I can. But do not be angry when they fail." ___________________________________________________________________________ Athorax watched from his mechanical tower. A loss had been suffered. One of the subjects had escaped again. But he did not have the time to punish Ceril. If the subject allied with Ohmni Nui, there would be no chance of winning. A Ko-Matoran entered the chamber. "Why have you summoned me?" "They say you are the greatest assassin on Omnis Magna," replied Athorax, a beastly grin spread across his face. "Indeed," replied the Matoran. "Then I need you to kill this being," responded Athorax. He held up a picture of Razek. "I'll send 10 Mindless Assassins to help you. If you succeed, your payment shall be great." "The deed shall be done," said the Matoran. He chuckled as he walked out the door. Another victim. I will ensure this one dies quick... Chapter 2 The tallest being spoke. "My name is Rakan. What're you doin' on the lands of the Skakdi?" "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know how I got here," replied Razek. The 2 other Skakdi burst out into laughter. Rakan slammed the other two Skakdi's heads together. "Shut up! I'll do the talking here," he said. "Now, let me ask again. What're you doin' on our turf?" This time, Razek replied by grabbing the launcher, and hurling it at Rakan's head. Rakan was knocked to the ground. As the Skakdi stood back up, he spat blood onto the sand, and screamed. "Kill him!" The 2 Skakdi moved quickly. The first, one with blue armor and a sword, pounced at Razek. He quickly dodged, and with a lightning-quick swipe of his blade, chopped off the Skakdi's arm. The Skakdi screamed, and fled. The other Skakdi, wielding a flail, attacked. Razek barely dodged the spiked mace at the top, and with a swipe of his leg, knocked the beastly being to the ground. Razek felt power building in his body. Perhaps this was one of his abilities. Rakan laughed. "I've seen better from a blade of grass,". Rakan grabbed the other Skakdi's leg, and hurled him at Razek. Razek felt now was the time. He held his hands out, and channeled his energy. A massive, black beam erupted, incinerating the Skakdi and scorching part of Rakan's armor. Razek looked in Rakan's orange eyes. All he could see was hatred...anger, flaming rage. He tossed his blade away, and leaped at Razek. The warrior was knocked to the ground. Rakan smashed his fist into the ground, barely missing Razek's skull. Razek kicked the Skakdi off of him, and swiped his sword at him. Rakan simply grabbed the sword, and tossed it away. Rakan screamed, and smashed Razek into the ground. "Say your prayers, outsider!!" Before he could make another move, Rakan grunted, and fell to the ground, unconscious. A red-armored, smaller being stood before him, a boulder in his hands. "Need any help?" ______________________________________________________________________ A squad of Skrall emerged from the portal. The head Skrall looked at the ground. There were distinct, molten footprints. He was near. Chapter 3 Model X paced through the mysterious cavern. He did not know why he was here. He felt as if he had been drawn to this place by another will. A dark, ancient voice echoed throughout the cave. "Welcome," said the voice. Model X turned, but the source of the voice could not be found. A tall, shadowy being appeared from the darkness. Model X could only make out his outline and glowing, crimson eyes. "What do you want?" replied the rebellious robot. "I want...to make a deal with you..." said the being. "What kind of deal?" asked Model X. "Let me explain. If you work for me for one tiny job, you will be paid greatly," answered the being. "I offer my services to nobody. Money is not of any value to me," said Model X. "Who said the reward was money? I know what you desire most, "Model X"," responded the dark figure. "How do you know my name?" said the Mens Nihil warrior. "I know...many things. I know the deities themselves. I know what you desire most. Vengeance. Vengeance against the Mens Nihil. I can offer you the powers to destroy them, and much more as well," replied the being. "I only need for you to kill...these 5 Toa." The being held out his hand, and 5 portals opened. Inside of them were images of 5 Toa. Model X hesitated, but finally, he nodded, and walked off. _________________________________________________________________________ Omega readied his bed, knowing the next day would be long and hard. As he laid down, he heard a large boom and commotion. He shrugged. Late night fireworks, eh? he thought. But he could not ignore the cold truth. The commotion was not positive. He burst out of his house, to see the cause of the noise. The buildings were on fire, some fallen. Several dark beings, the Morhud, followed by their mechanical minions, marched through the streets, torches and weapons in hand. At the head was a tall Makuta. Omega acted by instinct then. He did not think. He charged. Chapter 4 Razek laid himself down on the soft bed of sand. Nightfall had come, and the Ta-Matoran he had met, Maktan, had advised him to stay inside of the tent during night. He began to rest. He was free of worry for now. He allowed the dark embrace of sleep to take over. ________________________________________________________________________ Razek ran through the dark streets. Several robotic beings and demon-like creatures followed behind. The mechanical tower in e the center of the island shifted, revealing several firearms. The tower opened fire, barely missing Razek. He came to a halt at a shore littered with broken pieces of metal. Razek was struck by a sharp pain, a sonic blast, and fell to the ground. He tried to scream, but his voice was absent. He was helpless as he was dragged away. ________________________________________________________________________ Athorax chuckled, watching the city fall apart. By the time he saw the Toa clad in orange and blue armor leaping towards him, it was too late to act. The Makuta was slammed into the ground. The attacker wielded a trident and a sword. He used his gravity powers to send Omega floating in the air, helpless. His shadow hand erupted from his chest, grabbing Omega and tossing him to the ground. Athorax got to his feet and dismissed his guards. He approached Omega, and laughed. "So, the Turaga decided to keep the garbage?" he said, gazing into the eyes of the worn Toa. As he walked closer, his voice became grim. "Then I'll take it upon myself to take out the trash." The Makuta unsheathed his sword. Omega got up and activated his trident, unleashing a beam of blue light. Athorax had no time to dodge, and was sent hurtling into the ground as the beam collided with his chest. He screamed as the energy fused his armor to the ground. Omega eyed the agonized Makuta. His armor had merged with the ground itself. The searing heat had melted a part of his armor, and cracks had begun to form in his shoulder. A green cloud slowly began seeping out of the crack. "Now, what should I do? Leave you here in pain until all of your antidermis leaks out, or release you?" said Omega. The Toa did not see the shadow behind him before it was too late. A tall, black-armored being knocked him to the ground with one fast strike, and grabbed the trident. He aimed it towards the screaming Makuta, and an orange beam erupted from the tip, separating Athorax and the cold ground. Athorax clumsily got to his feet, regaining his sense of balance. He saw by the look in Void's eyes that he was not happy. Void tossed the trident to the ground, and shook his head as Omega got to his feet. Several Matoran arrived, armed with weapons. The Mens Nihil that were brought into the city were smashed and destroyed. The Morhud were injured. Athorax knew he had no fighting chance. "All Morhud, retreat!" he shouted. The Morhud quickly charged past the Matoran before they could react. Void rolled his eyes as the warriors ran off into the woods, and teleported away. Omega sighed. The battle had been won, but he knew this was not the best that Athorax could deal. He was puzzled as well. Athorax always seemed to be the one in charge, but the black-armored being seemed to have no respect towards him. In fact, it seemed the other way around. The time for wondering was not now, though. He walked off into the darkness, ready to sleep for the day to come. Chapter 5 Ackar viewed in awe the lush jungles of Bota Nui. If he didn't know better, he would think he was still on Bota Magna. But this was different. This reminded him of something Mata Nui would talk about. As he walked through the jungle, he saw a clearing, leading to a waterfall. He could not help but notice, though, the shadow cast upon him. This was no tree. As he turned around, he saw a massive beast leaping towards him. He dodged just in time. The beast was reminiscent of a tiger, but with strange mechanical parts. He could barely see any organic tissue. The creature turned towards him, and roared. Before it could act again, it screeched in pain, and fell to the ground. A Skrall wielding a large club stood before the injured tiger-like beast, and laughed. "It took us long to find you, Ackar. We had to pry the information out of your Skrall friend before we killed him just to get here. The molten footprints did the rest,". ________________________________________________________________________ Razek was already tired. This Matoran was very talkative. His sleep was filled with more nightmares. He had too many unanswered questions, and Maktan was not going to help. "You know, I wouldn't normally save a stranger fighting a Skakdi. I told you those were Skakdi, right?" said the Matoran. Razek sighed. "Yes. 10 times already." "Okay, good. So, where was I? Oh, yes, now I remember. You should really try the Turaga's food. They call him and his customers a weirdo. They say "we only need to eat one time a year!". But if the Turaga's involved-" "You were talking about how you wouldn't normally save a stranger fighting a Skakdi," said Razek. "Oh, yes. I wouldn't normally save a stranger fighting a Skakdi. I've told you they-" Razek sighed. "Yes." "Okay, good. But you remind me of someone the Turaga told legends about. He said that the savior had silver and black armor, and wielded a sword. They said he came from the clutches of the Morhud themselves," replied Maktan. The word chilled him already. "Morhud?" "I'll let the Turaga tell you about that. So, where was I?" ___________________________________________________________________________ Sol sighed, grinding his teeth. He had instructed Athorax to do one simple thing, and he had failed. He did not know why Shadowmaster wanted the object, but he knew the consequences of disobeying him. The door to the chamber opened. Shadowmaster arose from his throne. "Shadowmaster-" "Shut up, insolent slug! I know what has happened," interrupted Shadowmaster. Sol could see that his "master"'s health was deteriorating. His armor was beginning to rust, and his eyes were weary and full of hatred. "The plan is never going to succeed if your idiot army is going to run around aimlessly! They were defeated by Matoran!!" Sol could tell the decrease in Shadowmaster's health. "But-" A piece of Shadowmaster's armor fell off, and a barbed tentacle emerged, wrapping around Sol's arm. The deity screamed in pain as the searing tentacles fed off of his mind and life. All of the sanity in Shadowmaster's voice had gone as he released the tentacles from Sol's arm. "I want a search squad looking for the Deuskar. I want an army sent out to Ohmnis Nui. I want Virus to get out of his city of morons and fight! And if you fail, I'll have to "dispose" of you,". Sol nodded, and walked out of the throne room. He was ready to work the Morhud as hard as possible if it meant staying alive. He was ready for battle. Chapter 6 Ackar stared into the eyes of the Skrall warrior. He bore a scar over his left eye, and wore the helmet of the former Rock Tribe leader, Tuma. The Skrall paced closer to the warrior, dismissing the other Skrall. He chuckled. "Remember me? We met some hundred-thousand years ago or so...you gave me this scar. The name's Brute." Now Ackar remembered. He had fought this Skrall during the Core War, and given him that same scar. Brute charged towards Ackar, swinging his sword at the old warrior's head. He ducked, and performed a sweeping kick that knocked Brute off of his feet. The Elite Skrall laughed, and slammed his club into the ground. Several jagged spikes emerged from the ground, injuring Ackar. He activated his flame sword, sending out a jet of flames, but Brute dodged, and swung his sword again. This time, the warrior could not dodge, and the sword created a gash in his armor. Ackar cringed in pain. Brute swung his club, but Ackar blocked with his shield, and disbalanced the Elite Warrior. As the other Skrall began to clutch their blades and moved towards the battle, Ackar shot a wave of flame at them, scorching their armor and knocking them off of their feet. Before Brute could get in another swing, the skirmish was disrupted by a roar. The tiger creature had regained consciousness, and gazed at the two warriors. As it turned from Skrall to veteran warrior, it remembered the club that had injured it, and leapt at Brute. Ackar took no time to fight. He ran off into the woods, many questions on his mind. ________________________________________________________________________ Ceril turned to Void. "So, what is the problem again?" Virus answered his question. "Shadowmaster is sick with something. Sol wanted for you to see him, see if it's a disease. Be careful, though. He attacked Sol. That's why we have a squad of Mens Nihil and Morhud with us." Ceril nodded, and opened the door to the throne room. As Void, Virus, the Mens Nihil and the Morhud followed, the door closed shut. Almost immediately, several tentacles erupted from the shadows, crushing the Mens Nihil and Morhud against the wall and instantly killing them. "GET OUT!!!" screamed a grim, demonic voice. As Ceril approached, he saw what Sol and Virus had been talking about. Shadowmaster's armor was decaying, writhing barbed tentacles substituting some of the armor that had fallen off. Virus spoke. "Sol wanted-" Four tentacles burst out of Shadowmaster's chest, wrapped around Virus' arms, and began to pull, threatening to tear Virus apart while draining his life at the same time. "GET OUT!!!!" Ceril walked towards Shadowmaster. "Sol just pointed out that you seem sick. We wanted to see-" Shadowmaster released Virus, and walked towards Ceril. The small Morhud backed off as the blazing crimson eyes gazed upon him. He grabbed Ceril by the neck, and tossed him into Void, sending both flying towards the edge of the room. "I don't care if I'm sick!! All I want is for you to send an army out to Ohmnis Magna, and a search party sent out to find the Deuskar!! Now, GET OUT!!" said Shadowmaster. Void, Virus, and Ceril quickly ran out of the room, and Shadowmaster settled back into his throne. The plan is falling apart... he thought. I need the Deuskar, now. And with a new team of Toa and Razek, there is no telling what could happen... ______________________________________________________________________________ Rakan paced back and forth in the cave. He turned to see blazing red eyes glaring at him. "Who are you!?" said Rakan. "That is unimportant right now. The important subject is you..." replied a dark voice. Rakan could make out the silhouette of a decaying being wielding a staff, but that was all. "I need you to do something for me..." Rakan laughed. "HA! And what's that, weirdo!?" His question was met with searing pain. The being walked closer, and his blood ran cold. "I need you to find the Pyramid of a Thousand Links," said the shadowy being. Rakan felt that he could barely speak. The air began to run out as the being got closer. He backed off and gasped for air. "What are you talking about?" "An object on Ohmnis Magna valued by all. It allows the wielder to form a link to an object or being, and when that object is destroyed or used, the power flows right to the wielder. Of course, if you were to decline my "offer"..." replied the being. He came closer, and Rakan felt himself choking, the pressure of the air around him threatening to crush him. The Skakdi held his hand up, and the air returned to normal. The being nodded. "Very well. And if you fail, you will see that death is more painful than you think." Chapter 7 Razek knew he had just met the single most annoying being in existence. Maktan had not shut up once for the entire duration of the journey. If his thoughts were not of the babbling Ta-Matoran, he might have noticed the grim shadow of a Ko-Matoran bounty hunter behind them. As they reached the island shore, Maktan finally became silent. A silver pod lay on the surface of the shore, enough to hold two Toa. "This is how you get around this world?" asked Razek. "The only way. All of the boats sent out for trading or collecting resources have never returned. These pods are the safest way of traveling, and even so, this pod would die out if I tried to get to Mortus Nui," replied the Ta-Matoran. "Well, get in." As the two entered the uncomfortable pod, there was a light chuckle from the sands, to far to be heard. The pod submerged, and sped into the depths. The Ko-Matoran walked onto the shore, and stepped into the water. Lack of oxygen was of no concern to him. The entire atmosphere was deadly to him. His helmet provided him the gas he needed to breath. He whistled, and there was a slight rumbling beneath the surface. A large reptilian beast emerged from the surface of the water, and screeched. The bounty hunter mounted the creature, and sunk into the depths. The hunt was on. ____________________________________________________________________________ The central capital of Ohmnis Nui was rebuilding. Ta-Magna was the worst badly damaged, being the closest to the capital. The other regions were unharmed. The Turaga had been worried ever since the attack. None of the Toa were harmed, but he was beginning to fear that another attack would occur. Omega rested at the Turaga's conference table. The Turaga entered the room, and closed the door. "As you can see, training may be much shorter than planned. The raid on Av-Magna destroyed the training building," said the Turaga. "What are we going to do if they attack again? They will quickly destroy the island if we are unprepared. They know we have defenses, and if they attack again, they will bring much more Morhud," replied Omega. "Not "if", my friend. "When" they attack. They are coming. Preparing now. Athorax is training his Morhud warriors right now, I know it," said the Turaga. "I don't think Athorax is the one behind this. I saw a being in black armor and wearing what looked like a Kraahkan near the Makuta. Athorax showed at least a little respect for the being," said Omega. "Wait...wearing a Kraahkan?" asked the Turaga. "Yes. Do you think it's that Teridax person that the elders before you told you about?" answered Omega. "No. I believe I know who this is. But if it is true...then I believe there is no chance we can stand against them." __________________________________________________________________________ The Turaga closed the ancient tome, having told the tale of Shadowmaster and the deities to Omega. "Wait...so Athorax is not the leader of the Morhud at all?" said Omega. "Indeed. He was just a dupe for us in case we had an upper hand, as are the deities, in case we found out about them. The one you saw was Void. But if these tales are true, and this is Shadowmaster we are dealing with...then there is one hope," replied the Turaga. "What are you talking about?" asked a puzzled Omega. "The legends speak of a mask on the faraway island of Vortus. It is called the mysterious "Deuskar". This item is said to be the only thing capable of defeating Shadowmaster," said the elder. "And you want us to obtain the mask?" questioned Omega. "Oh, no, it is much more complicated than that, my friend. Only one is deemed capable of obtaining the mask. They must complete a series of trials, and traverse the islands of Omnis Magna, to reach Vortus and obtain the mask. That being has not arrived here yet, but he is close. I need you to train your team of Toa, and reach the westernmost island of the planet. There, you will find a key. Bring it here, and we shall give it to the chosen one when he arrives. This key will open the gate to the Deuskar on Vortus. Now, prepare yourself. This journey will be difficult." Chapter 8 The Leader gazed out of his window, watching the shifting city of Mortus Nui. The skies were blackened, filled with smoke clouds. The buildings floated, rotated, and shifted, as if no force drove them whatsoever. The Mens Nihil leader turned to his own chamber. The stone floor was matted with moss, a carpet of green extending through the entire room. The only illumination was from the light of other buildings and the glowing eyes of the Mens Nihil leader himself. He envied Model X. The Leader ruled an army of Mens Nihil, but he was trapped within his own fortress, while Model X, with even more power than he, roamed the islands in freedom. If only there was another Mens Nihil, even more powerful than Model X. A dark grin spread across his face. He slammed open his iron door, and hurried through the dark halls of the Nihil. He stopped at a Mindless Assassin. He blurted out his orders in a rush. "Summon Ceril for me, now. I have an idea..." ____________________________________________________________________________ The light of the moon was all that lit the dark streets of Ohmnis Magna. The Matoran slept in their huts and houses, unaware of the dark shadow creeping through the silent roads. Rakan slipped silently through the streets. He did not know why this being had instructed him to obtain this relic, nor did he really know why he had instructed a Skakdi to do it. The average Skakdi was not a silent, stealthy creatures. Rarely could a Skakdi exit a room without breaking something. This was a waste of time, but he knew he would be killed if he failed. He could tell by the emblems on the flags in the area that this was Av-Magna, the central capital of the islands. He slowly walked through the streets, avoiding any of the few patrol guards stationed in the area. Finally, he came upon a large building. This was it: the museum. He was surprised by the lack of security in the area. There were several guards stationed on the streets, but none at the museum. He smashed through the glass of the museum door, disarmed the security, and quickly ran through the museum. He knew that people were now aware of his presence. Rakan quickly arrived at the exhibit housing the desired object. This was it: the Pyramid of a Thousand Links. Using his most powerful strike, he shattered the glass encasing the small pyramid, and grabbed it, retreating back into the shadows. Chapter 9 The pod floated through the depths. Razek was dissatisfied with the small vehicle. There was no window at all, and instead, a sonar scanner was used. There was little space to sit, and the chairs were made of rusted iron, as was the floor. Suddenly, the vehicle began to reel, as if hit by a large object. The sonar scanner revealed the source of the commotion. A mindless sea Rahi loomed in front of the vehicle, and mounted on top was a Ko-Matoran. Maktan closed his eyes. "It's a bounty hunter," said Maktan. Razek was puzzled. "Why are they after us?" Before Maktan could answer, the Rahi roared, and rammed into the pod. Maktan activated full speed, tearing through the water with amazing swiftness and going straight over the Ko-Matoran bounty hunter. The long sea lizard turned around, and pursued the vehicle. Its tail flailed back and forth, propelling it through the water. The bounty hunter loaded his Zamor Launcher and launched an energy sphere, denting the pod. The Rahi reached out with his webbed claw, latching on to the pod and pulling it closer. Maktan activated the emergency flame jet, scorching the beast's hand. The Rahi screamed, and retreated into the shadows. Maktan slowed the vehicle, and let out a sigh of relief. "So, where was I? Oh, yeah, the Turaga said I was the greatest villager. And I am. I'm the best Matoran out there." Razek finally lost his temper. "SHUT UP ALREADY!! We need to focus on-" The warrior was interrupted by shocking impact. Something large had landed on top of the vehicle, and it was tearing at the roof. Green claws began to breach the surface of the ceiling, and water began to pour in. "Is there any way to get out there, in the water, to fight this thing?" said Razek. Maktan acted as if Razek's outburst had never even happened, and handed Razek a small mask. "Here, this is an oxygen mask. I don't know why you would want to go out there, but it will allow you to stay out there for a while." The Ta-Matoran pointed to an airlock. Razek departed, and entered the sea. Now, he got a good glimpse at the beast. It was covered in blue-green scales, and was around 30 feet in length. Activating his launcher for the first time, Razek unleashed a blast of antimatter. The blast burned through the Rahi's scales, and attracted its attention. The Ko-Matoran mounted on the beast gave a signal, and it charged, twirling through the water with its claws outstretched. Razek dodged, and grabbed hold of the Rahi's tail. The tail furiously waved back and forth, but Razek managed to retain his hold, and climbed up the lizard's body, eventually reaching the back, where the menacing bounty hunter was mounted. The hunter chuckled to himself, and loaded his weapon. Razek let out a blast of antimatter, completely disintegrating the launcher. The Ko-Matoran growled, and unsheathed his dagger, lunging at Razek. Razek blocked with his own blade, and slashed at the bounty hunter's left arm. Blood began to seep from his injured arm, and Razek leaped forward, obtaining a choke hold over the Ko-Matoran. The Rahi roared in annoyance, and with one swipe, knocked Razek off of him. Razek realized that the oxygen level was beginning to lower. He charged through the water, and flew into the bounty hunter. He smashed his fist into the hunter's face, knocking him off of the beast and into a rock wall. Razek grabbed the Rahi's neck, and directed it towards the wall. The warrior jumped off just before the lizard and the rock wall collided. The wall rumbled and shattered, tumbling over both the Rahi and the bounty hunter. A weary Razek swam back to the damaged sea pod, and entered the airlock. The water drained, and he reentered the vehicle. Maktan nodded, and the vehicle sped off. _____________________________________________________________________________ The pod finally reached the shore of Ohmnis Nui, at the crack of dawn. The sun ominously yet slowly rose into position as the two walked upon the shores of the island. The journey was over for Maktan...but for Razek, the real journey was about to begin. _____________________________________________________________________________ Shadowmaster watched the assembly of Morhud and Mens Nihil alike. He could tell that their blades were eager for battle, the warriors were thirsty for blood...and soon, they would get their wish. He had managed to patch his armor back together, but the burning insanity in his eyes could not be hidden. "Warriors, scouts, and assassins alike, you are all soldiers. You are my soldiers, and you will fight for the hold of chaos. Ohmnis Magna was prepared during our last attack," Shadowmaster paused, and glanced at Athorax, "but we will be prepared for them this time. Tomorrow, we march. We will strike. WE WILL DESTROY!!" The hundreds of assembled warriors cheered. Their thirst for blood was about to be satisfied. To be continued in Part 2... =Part 2= Note: The following information was released by the author here. It has been reprinted here for your convenience. * Omega and his team leave to go to find the key to Vortus or something. * Zelchion has a run-in with his archenemy, Void at a jungle island. Void manages to badly injure Zelchion using an electric trap of his own creation, Zelchion drives him off with his control over plantlife. * Shadowmaster begins to lead his army to Ohmnis Nui. * Omega and co. find a desert island, where they are confronted by Model X on his Biocycle. United, they defeat him, and he allies with them after realizing they are enemies of The Leader. * Razek is haunted by more nightmares, and manages to piece together the nightmares to discover his own origin: He was created by Ceril and Athorax as a prototype for the ultimate weapon. However, like Ceril's previous creations, he went insane and attacked his creators. Ceril clouded his memory and sent him, with three Morhud, to raid Ohmnis Nui. However, Razek came to his senses and killed his Morhud escorts, before falling unconscious himself. * Ceril resolves to stop the Toa Omega himself, and tries to drive them insane by implanting them with memories of their own archenemies. However, they eventually overcome the nightmares, and press on to the ancient fortress housing the key to Vortus. * Cortak, Toa and captain of the guard in Ohmnis Nui, leads an assault squad to fend off Shadowmaster's army before they reach Ohmnis Nui. They manage to hold them off, but at the cost of many lives. * The Toa Omega find the key to Vortus, but are attacked by an insane Agori-Rahi hybrid. They defeat him, but Ceril shows up and steals the key. They manage to catch him and get the key, but the Morhud scientist escapes. * Shadowmaster's army marches once more to Ohmnis Nui. As the Toa Omega return and meet Razek, the battle begins. There are no deaths for major characters...except for one. * Shadowmaster confronts Razek in a battle of epicness at an abandoned warehouse in Ta-Magna. Shadowmaster gains the upper hand at first, but he is overpowered and thrown to his death in a pit of lava. At this point, the army retreats. * Epilogue: Cortak, not suited for celebration, walks off into the uninhabited region surrounding the cities. He wanders off into a cursed cave, where a mysterious tentacled monster taunts and kills him. =Part 3= * Sol contacts Ohmnis Nui and taunts them, revealing that though Shadowmaster has died, he still has the Omniskar. The Turaga sends Razek off to find the Deuskar after this, revealing a path to Vortus in another universe, exclusive to the one who is destined to find the Deuskar. * Cortak, alive and well, reveals a plot to lead continuous attacks on Ohmnis Nui. * Razek enters an abandoned temple in the alternate universe, where he undergoes a trial involving ground spikes. He emerges in the regular universe on the Northernmost Island. He is greeted by several mutated Matoran, who promise to allow him access to the next portal if he defeats Ceril, who bases on this island, for them. He does so, and badly wounds Ceril. Razek accesses the next portal. * Sol goes to Ohmnis Nui with his second-in-command, Virus, to "negotiate". After Omega and the Turaga refuse to comply, Sol activates a bomb that destroys Ko-Magna. * Razek passes a trial involving axe pendulums, and enters Bota Nui. There, he confronts Ackar, and allies with him against Brute. He does so, and defeats the Skrall before entering the next portal. * Sol contacts Rakan and Brute, convincing them to join his army. * Razek faces no trial in the next portal, but he is attacked by Kolrix (he survived his earlier defeat), who entered at the exact same time as Razek did. Razek defeats him, and flees as the realm falls apart (there is a time limit to the trials). * Sol readies for a second attack on Ohmnis Nui, while Cortak launches an attack on Vulcas Nui. * Razek arrives on Vulcas Nui to see Void and an army of Makuta marching to battle. Just as Void spots him, Cortak arrives with his strike force and battles Void's army. Razek reaches the next portal, and witness Cortak's death at Void's hands. * Razek arrives on the Island of Shattered Skulls. After watching an army of Zyglak led by Virus march off of the island, he rests in a cavern. There, he meets a mysterious being simply named "The Watcher". The Watcher makes it clear that he is Razek's ally, and reveals that he has watched over the universe since its creation. He pleads that Razek not continue his search for the Deuskar, but Razek ignores him and parts to the island of Mortus Nui. * Sol activates another bomb that destroys Le-Magna. The citizens of Ohmnis Nui begin a migration to Av-Magna, the capitol of the island. * Razek arrives at Mortus Nui. There, he faces Athorax. Athorax resolves to try to "reprogram" him to serve the Morhud, but Razek defeats him and cuts off his left arm. He reaches the next portal, and enters Vortus... The rest will be continued in Saga of Shadows: The Final Chapters. =Part 4= Note: The following information was released by the author here. It has been reprinted here for your convenience. Chapter 1 Razek exited the swirling portal, arriving upon the shores of Vortus at last. The sands were lined with shattered masks, but his main focus was the iron gate ahead. Beyond the gate was a stairway ascending up to a pedestal which held the Deuskar itself. Razek walked up to the gate, and took out the key he had been given by Omega. The key automatically floated out of his hands, and embedded itself into the lock of the gate. The great doors opened, and Razek slowly walked up to the ominous pedestal. He froze when he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Going somewhere?" said the voice. Razek turned around to face Cortak, the very same Toa who had died on Vulcas Nui at the hands of Void. But the voice that had come out of his mouth was not that of Cortak's. No, it was the voice of Shadowmaster. Slowly, Cortak's body began to distort and shift, transforming into the familiar shape of Shadowmaster himself. Razek shook his head. "No, how is this possible? I killed you!" Shadowmaster laughed, a revolting sound. "That is where you are wrong. No, what I wanted was the Deuskar. I had no need to launch an attack on your precious little island, except to satisfy my minions' thirst for blood. Of course, I had planned for a loss on our side, so I could go back while you went off on your quest to find the mask. But it never goes the way I want, does it? My army fought well. Calling a retreat would be pointless, and would only make me look like a weakling in the eyes of my servants. So, I fought you. I made it look as if I was using my power to the fullest, so you would not suspect anything, then, I waited for the perfect opportunity to "die". The event in which I was thrown into the pit was my greatest chance. I loosened my spirit from my body as it descended into the lava, knowing that if one of my minions witnessed my "death", they would think that you and your allies were invincible. Later, I looked for a potential host, one who could hold off Sol before he could launch an attack. That host was Cortak. I knew he had launched an attack towards my army previously, I could easily convince Ohmnis Nui that he would launch one again. I lured him to my cavern, and used his body to host my essence. Then, when I saw you on Vulcas Nui, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to follow you. And here I am...here to take the Deuskar, even if I must rip it from your bloody corpse." "So...you've been using me this whole time?" asked a startled Razek. "You could say so. Now that all of this is clear, I want that mask," answered Shadowmaster. Razek quickly snatched the Deuskar out of the air. "Too bad." Shadowmaster snarled, and unleashed a large blast of dark energy towards Razek. Razek tried to dodge, but suddenly, Shadowmaster closed his eyes and a portal opened right where Razek was, sucking him in. The portal reopened, and spat Razek right in the way of the blast. He was sent hurtling backwards, and lost grip of the Deuskar. Shadowmaster quickly grabbed it with a tendril of energy. Razek slowly got to his feet, and observed Shadowmaster's actions. He was holding a small, mysterious object next to the mask, but he had no time to interpret this. He raised his sword and fired a blast of antimatter towards Shadowmaster's hand. Shadowmaster screamed and dropped the Deuskar as the blast hit him. Razek quickly grabbed it out of the air. "Let's see what this thing can really do," growled Razek. He donned the mask, and tendrils of energy burst out of his body, tearing apart the pedestal and the stairs leading up to it and sending chunks of it towards his opponent. The slabs of rock slammed into Shadowmaster's body, killing him. Before Razek could make another action, he was teleported to Ohmnis Nui. _____________________________________________________________________________ Razek materialized in the Coliseum of Av-Magna. Inside of the chamber was Omega and the Turaga. "I've got the mask," said Razek. He frowned upon hearing no response. "What's wrong?" Omega pointed behind Razek. Razek turned around, and saw the source of the fear. A massive army led by Sol and Virus marched towards them, all armed with deadly weapons. So, this was it, thought Razek. The final battle... Chapter 2 The red sky loomed above what was once Ohmnis Nui city, now reduced to the capitol, Av-Magna, and Ko-Magna. The rest was the burning remains of the other districts. Slowly, Sol and Virus marched towards the towering colossus of Av-Magna. Sol looked upwards, and shouted. "This is your last chance! Surrender, or fall!". There was no response. He took out a crude remote, and pressed a red button. Seconds later, Ko-Magna burst into flames. Madness gleaming in his crimson eyes, Sol turned to his army. "ATTACK!!!" A force field materialized around Av-Magna. Sol made a gesture to his front wave, and orange spheres launched towards the shield. In an instant, the field shattered, and the army charged forwards. In the Coliseum, the Turaga called out to his soldiers. Archers and snipers appeared from the spiraling towers surrounding, and opened fire. Omega wasted no time, and leaped out into the battlefield. Razek followed. _____________________________________________________________________________ Delix launched blasts of energy from her tri-bladed launcher. The waves of Morhud and Mens Nihil surrounding fell, but they were quickly replaced. The Toa of Psionics managed to fend them off with her trident, but there were too many. She leaped over the crowd of Morhud and retreated back to the closest building, the laboratory. As she sat down to rest, a familiar voice cackled behind her. She turned to face this new opponent...Ceril. "Well, well, well. You're the little Matoran, that fool that challenged me when I invaded Ce-Koro, am I correct? You've...grown," hissed Ceril. "Why are you even here, fighting me? I've already beaten you twice before. Why not challenge some of the Matoran, maybe something more appropriate for your skills?" said Delix. "Oh....Delix, is it? You simply have gotten the wrong impression. I was going easy on you when you were a Matoran, and last time, you got the aid of your Toa friends. Let's see how powerful you are on your own!" _____________________________________________________________________________ Chapter unfinished... Category:Stories